HAKAWATI: Borrowing Money from the Mayor of Jerusalem | من مذكرات واصف جوهرية: اقتراض المال من رئيس بلدية القدس

In the ancient Hakawati oral storytelling tradition, Bassam Abunnadi (of the “Preoccupation” podcast) will narrate another tale from Historic Palestine.  This story comes from the diaries of Wasif Jawhariyyeh (صف جوهرية), a Jerusalemite Palestinian musician, composer, and poet.  He is best known for his diaries, an audit of his life in Jerusalem spanning six decades from 1904 to 1968, which chronicle Palestine’s history through multiple rules, wars, and social upheaval.

This particular story, from volumes of The Diaries of Wasif Jawhariyyeh was chosen for the festival because it speaks to the social milieu and cultural norms of Palestinian Arab society in Jerusalem. It is one of thousands from the chronicles of Palestinian presence in our homeland.